California Exodus — It’s Real
People are leaving California, I get it, but I’m staying.
Several years ago, my sweet sister and brother-in-law, who both love California, decided to move to Texas from Brentwood, Ca.
It was a difficult decision for them, but economic reasons, especially as they approached retirement age, drove the decision.
They are not alone.
California ranks second in the country for outbound moves — a phenomenon that has snowballed during the pandemic, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, which tracked data from moving company United Van Lines. Between 2018 and 2019, California had an outbound move rate of 56%. That rate rose to nearly 60% in 2020–21. LA Times
I lived in California in the 1950s and 1960s as a child, and it was indeed the “Golden State” back then.
But, over my 70 years of life, I lived in California, Texas, Virginia, Florida, Mississippi, and New Mexico.
Each had its pros and cons, but California topped my list of best places to live, and I was happy when we returned twenty years ago.
But that “Best Place” moniker is changing.
High on my list is the weather; I hated the blowing wind and dust in New Mexico, the humidity and…
